Top surface cleaner for filter beds



0ct. 15, 1 4 w. c. LAUGHLKN TOP SUB-FACE CLEANER FOR FiLTER BEDS Filed July 18, 1939 FIGI INVENTOR. WILLIAM c. LAUGHLIN TTORNEY.

Patented 0a. is, 1940' PATENT OFFICE 'ror sunracn cmannn ron m'raa BEDS William O. Laughlin, New York, N. Y., assignor to W. 0. Laughlin Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 18, 1939, Serial N0; 285,017 g 2 Claims. (01. zit-12s) This invention relates to top surface cleaners for filter beds used in connection with the clarification of waters, sewage, industrial waste waters, etc., and has for its object to provide an 5 improved top surface cleaner.

More particularly, the invention relates to the invention described in my co-pending application, Serial No. 154,226, filed July 1'7, 1937, for Filtering systems, devices used therein,

is an improvement thereof.

In the former, the top surface cleaner was provided with a sled or shoe, which caused the very thin top layer of the filter bed to be scooped from the filter bed proper, and while so removed was subjected to the action of a paddle wheel. This scooping shoe in the former served another purpose, namely, to act as a sled to support the paddle wheel and the mechanism attendant it,

go and the support naturally was upon the diminished filter bed, instead of upon the filter bed proper.

The present improvement consists therein in providing sleds running upon the normal top 5 surface of the filter bed, and consists in having the paddle wheel acting directly upon the uppermost surface of the filter bed, so as to momentarily remove it from the filter bed proper and thereupon cause the matter which formed the top surface to be returned to the filter bed prop r.

The invention consists further in providing a hood enclosing the draw cfi pipe, to which hood at each side thereof'transversely of the filter bed, sled portions are provided having runners which 3 act directly upon the top surface of the filter bed.

I Referringtothedrawing,inFigures'lto3 there is shown a structure which has supports lil suspended from the movable carriage not shownin this case but shown in the co-pending application, Serial No.154,226. 'These two parts ll supportinturnahoodiLandthishoodlienclosesand 1. methods of filtration, and the present invention a draw of! pipe I! having an opening ii. The hood ll has parallel walls vertically arranged, indicated by lid and lib, and these are bent so as to be inclined towards the pipe It, as indicated by He and lid. The inclined walls lie and lid ofthe hood ii are placed ta entially in respect to the exterior curved wall of the pipe l2 and are spot welded therewith. The hood ll extends transversely of the filter bed and is closed at its ends by walls lie. The side walls lid and -l lb terminate close to the top of the filter bed 20.

Within the hood and substantially equidistantly disposed in respect .to the walls of the hood, a paddle wheel i4 is provided which is fixed to a revolving shaft l5 upon which a sleeve i6 is secured, provided with screw threaded openings. The paddles ii are formed of sheet metal plates bent to angular seating portions i8 having openings through which screw bolts l9 pass and engage the screw threaded openings in the sleeve is. The paddles "have a length so as to enter the filter bed as shown in Figures 1 and 3. The ends of the paddle, when in perpendi'cular and lowermost position, extend below the lower ends of the walls lid and lib of the hood li.' Along eachside of the hood ii and extending also transversely across the filter bed 20 are sleds 2i formed of sheet metal, and having their perpendicular walls suitably fixed to the walls lid and lib of the hood, either by welding, braislng, or the like, and the sleds 2i have below them runners 22 which rest upon the top surface of the filter bed 20.- 1

To the extent that the lowermost ends of the paddle I! when in perpendicular position extend below the topsurface 23 of the filter bed 20, the filter bed material is plowed or scraped off. As

shown in Figure 3,'the separated portion of the thin top layer is thrown upwardly in the direction of the draw off pipe i2. Thereby the filter bed material is cleaned, in that dirt or the like waste water'through the pipe 24 which is connected to a pump (not shown), whereas the com-- bined centrifugal and gravity actions to which the heavier filter material is, subjected moves the is'forced upwardly due to the pumping out of the a same in a circular direction with the paddles and finally this material settles back upon the filter that the top surface '23 is again provided. The

. arrow 25 shows the direction of movement of the top surface cleaner, and the arrow 26 shows the direction of movement of the paddles. The smaller arrows 21 show the direction of the separated dirt and waste water towards and into the .bed replacing the same and filling any gaps, so

pipe H. The walls of the tank are shown by 28. At the ends of the shaft I! which extend exterior to the hood ll, sprockets 30 are provided which face of the filter bed to the same extent as the paddle II, but these entrances are'outside of the hood.

The functioning of the paddle wheel ll directly upon the filter bed brings about a very satisfactory cleaning of the top surface of the same.

The top surface cleaner is moved longitudinally along the length of the filter bed in a position transversely thereto, and this is done continuously, since the top surface fills very quickly from sediments and the like in the water above the filter bed, and by continuously cleaning the top surface the cleaning action of the filter bed is thereby maintained to a very high degree.

The construction described is simple, and operates with efficiency.

From the foregoing, it will have been seen that the novel point is to have the top surface cleaner rest upon the top surface of the filter bed in sled fashion, but to have the cleaning paddle wheel operate directly upon the top surface of the filter bed, and by churning this top surface, 1. e., the material thereof, the grains are cleaned by being separated from the soiled material accumulated thereon, and in cleaned fashion are replaced upon the filter bed. A

I have described an embodiment of my improved top surface cleaner for filter beds, but it is clear that changes may be made within the principle of the invention described, without departing from the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. In a top surface cleaner for filter beds hav-- ing a screen and filter material disposed thereupon, a paddle wheel having its axis of rotation above the top surface of the filter bed and having end portions of the paddles composing the paddle wheel engage and within the top layer of the filter bed, means for rotating the paddle wheel, a hood enclosing the paddle wheel, and a draw oif pipe within the hood for discharging from the interior of the hood water with impurities separated from the filter bed by the agitating action of the paddle wheel directly upon the top surface layer of the filter bed.

2. In a top surface cleaner for filter'beds having a screen and filter material disposed thereupon, a paddle wheel having its axis of rotation above the top surface of the filter bed and having end portions of the paddles composing the paddle wheel engage and within the top layer of the filter bed, means for rotating the paddle wheel, a hood enclosing the paddle wheel, and a draw ofl pipe within'the hood for discharging from the interior of the hood water with impurities separated from thefilter bed by the agitating action of the paddle wheel directly upon the top surface layer of the filter bed, said hood having sled portions at the lower part thereof for supporting the hood and the paddle wheel directly upon the top surface of the filter bed before it 'has been removed for the purpose of cleaning the,

top surface by the paddle wheel action.

WILLIAM c. LAUGHLIN. 

